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Æ16 - Elagabalus ΚΑΡ ΚΟΛω Π
| Issuer | Carrhae (Mesopotamia) |
|---|---|
| Year | 218-222 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| In circulation to | Log in to see details |
| Reference(s) | RPC VI#7869 |
| Obverse description | Radiate head of Elagabalus, facing right, with the spiky solar crown clearly visible despite heavy wear. The portrait is rendered in the provincial style typical of Mesopotamian colonial mints of the early 3rd century AD. A Greek legend surrounds the effigy in the field. The flan is irregular and the surfaces show significant patination, partially obscuring fine detail. |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
| Obverse lettering | ΑΥΤ ΑΝΤωΝΕΙ (Translation: Emperor Antoninus) |
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| Mint | Log in to see details |
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| Additional information |
Carrhae's bronze issues under Elagabalus carry weight beyond their size. The city was infamous as the site of Crassus's catastrophic defeat by the Parthians in 53 BC, and it retained a distinct Semitic religious identity well into the Roman imperial period — its cult of the moon god Sin was still active when Elagabalus, himself a Syrian priest-emperor, held the throne. Whether the mint's continued operation under his reign reflects deliberate religious patronage or simple administrative continuity is unresolved. The colonial designation in the legend places it within Caracalla's reorganization of Mesopotamian civic status after the Parthian campaigns of 216-217.